lives when everything had gone haywire. But the look he leveled on me as he waited for my answer shook me, and I wondered if everything was completely over between us after all.
“Don’t be silly. If there is one thing I have learned about myself, it’s that I am not cut out to be the other woman.” Even if the man in question was my ex-husband and he hadn’t married the woman with whom he lived.
“She only dates murder suspects,” jested Nina.
“Not funny!” I protested vehemently. Her reference to my most recent beau, Wolf, prompted me to add, “No men who are married, separated, have missing wives, or are murder suspects.”
“No one else I know has that kind of problem.” Mars laughed and Nina joined in.
“Do you two want brunch? I’d recommend not teasing the cook if you’re hungry.” They didn’t seem one bit worried. “What are you doing here anyway, Mars? Did Natasha kick you out of the kitchen?”
“She’s a terror right now. Totally stressed about tonight’s cupcake banquet. I feel sorry for her assistant, Leon. She’s working him to death and, unlike me, he can’t escape.”
“Which course does she have?” I asked.
Nina mimicked a game show buzzer when a contestant provides the wrong answer. “No one is allowed to know except for me. I even gave the bakers identical paper cupcake liners so no one can vote for their favorite bakery. It’s all going to be anonymous.”
Nina’s departure after brunch left me exactly where I didn’t want to be—alone with Mars. I rinsed the dishes and he stacked them in the dishwasher, annoyingly like we were married again.
Eager to get out of the house, I pulled on walking shoes and told Mars I’d walk partway down to the park with him and the dogs. Besides, I had one major errand to take care of before the dinner.
The temperature had soared into the mid-eighties and people flooded Old Town’s sidewalks. We were pleased to see a stellar turnout at Cupcakes and Pupcakes on Market Square. To my total shock, Renee was back selling cupcakes at her booth. Even more astonishing, Humphrey was helping her.
Mars leaned over, and whispered, “That Renee is one tough cupcake.”
“Humphrey’s crazy mad about her, but I’m worried that she’s taking advantage of him.”
“Are you sure you’re not jealous?”
“What?”
“He’s been chasing you for years. Are you certain that you’re not feeling a little bit miffed that someone else has his attention?”
“Of course not.” That was ridiculous. But it might not be a bad time to straighten out Mars about our relationship. “Humphrey and I are just friends. Like you and me.”
“Uh-huh. Go ahead and tell yourself that. Our relationship doesn’t begin to equate to a friendship.”
What did that mean? He grinned at me, which I found annoying and worrisome. I didn’t have a chance to retort, though, because he wiggled his eyebrows and took off at a slow jog with the dogs.
Aargh. I was going to have to sit down with him one of these days and straighten things out. I should have done that immediately after the big kiss, but I’d let it slide, hoping it would just dissipate like the gas in a balloon. Obviously it hadn’t. And I didn’t like the fact that I’d been such a chicken about it. If it had happened with anyone else, I’d have confronted the situation head-on. Why did I try so hard to avoid that with Mars?
I left Market Square and walked the six blocks to Spenser’s house. Along the way, I couldn’t help thinking that what I was doing was a perfect example of preferring to tackle a problem directly. The last thing I wanted was for Clarissa to blow up at me again in public.
The day had grown warm, and the sticky humidity more typical of summer air made my skin moist as I walked up the stairs to Spenser’s home and knocked on the door.
Clarissa opened it about four inches. She appeared alarmed to see me.
“I hope you don’t mind my dropping by, but I’d like to clear
“Don’t be silly. If there is one thing I have learned about myself, it’s that I am not cut out to be the other woman.” Even if the man in question was my ex-husband and he hadn’t married the woman with whom he lived.
“She only dates murder suspects,” jested Nina.
“Not funny!” I protested vehemently. Her reference to my most recent beau, Wolf, prompted me to add, “No men who are married, separated, have missing wives, or are murder suspects.”
“No one else I know has that kind of problem.” Mars laughed and Nina joined in.
“Do you two want brunch? I’d recommend not teasing the cook if you’re hungry.” They didn’t seem one bit worried. “What are you doing here anyway, Mars? Did Natasha kick you out of the kitchen?”
“She’s a terror right now. Totally stressed about tonight’s cupcake banquet. I feel sorry for her assistant, Leon. She’s working him to death and, unlike me, he can’t escape.”
“Which course does she have?” I asked.
Nina mimicked a game show buzzer when a contestant provides the wrong answer. “No one is allowed to know except for me. I even gave the bakers identical paper cupcake liners so no one can vote for their favorite bakery. It’s all going to be anonymous.”
Nina’s departure after brunch left me exactly where I didn’t want to be—alone with Mars. I rinsed the dishes and he stacked them in the dishwasher, annoyingly like we were married again.
Eager to get out of the house, I pulled on walking shoes and told Mars I’d walk partway down to the park with him and the dogs. Besides, I had one major errand to take care of before the dinner.
The temperature had soared into the mid-eighties and people flooded Old Town’s sidewalks. We were pleased to see a stellar turnout at Cupcakes and Pupcakes on Market Square. To my total shock, Renee was back selling cupcakes at her booth. Even more astonishing, Humphrey was helping her.
Mars leaned over, and whispered, “That Renee is one tough cupcake.”
“Humphrey’s crazy mad about her, but I’m worried that she’s taking advantage of him.”
“Are you sure you’re not jealous?”
“What?”
“He’s been chasing you for years. Are you certain that you’re not feeling a little bit miffed that someone else has his attention?”
“Of course not.” That was ridiculous. But it might not be a bad time to straighten out Mars about our relationship. “Humphrey and I are just friends. Like you and me.”
“Uh-huh. Go ahead and tell yourself that. Our relationship doesn’t begin to equate to a friendship.”
What did that mean? He grinned at me, which I found annoying and worrisome. I didn’t have a chance to retort, though, because he wiggled his eyebrows and took off at a slow jog with the dogs.
Aargh. I was going to have to sit down with him one of these days and straighten things out. I should have done that immediately after the big kiss, but I’d let it slide, hoping it would just dissipate like the gas in a balloon. Obviously it hadn’t. And I didn’t like the fact that I’d been such a chicken about it. If it had happened with anyone else, I’d have confronted the situation head-on. Why did I try so hard to avoid that with Mars?
I left Market Square and walked the six blocks to Spenser’s house. Along the way, I couldn’t help thinking that what I was doing was a perfect example of preferring to tackle a problem directly. The last thing I wanted was for Clarissa to blow up at me again in public.
The day had grown warm, and the sticky humidity more typical of summer air made my skin moist as I walked up the stairs to Spenser’s home and knocked on the door.
Clarissa opened it about four inches. She appeared alarmed to see me.
“I hope you don’t mind my dropping by, but I’d like to clear
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